Yeah Yeah Yeahs

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs formed in Brooklyn, N.Y., in 2000, after guitarist Nick Zinner and vocalist Karen O met in a bar and began writing songs on an acoustic guitar together. They brought in an old friend (Brian Chase) on the drums, and decided to forgo the bass all together in an attempt to make as much of a punked-up, glammed-up racket as possible. An EP came out in 2001, when they also made their first live appearances opening up for the White Stripes. As the touring continued, so did the press. People were drawn to Karen O's punk rock/Flashdance-style of dress, not to mention her vocals, which could moan and shriek with passion and suffering. The band itself ran from dance-oriented 4/4 beats toward choppy post-punk; songs are clunky, spastic and melodic. Their debut album, Fever Too Tell, came out in 2003 and features the hit "Maps." They followed up that success with 2006's Show Your Bones. For their third release, 2009's It's Blitz, the trio took a slightly different approach, washing their gritty guitar rock in a wave of synths and dance beats.